Established in 1970, the Flood Hazard Research Centre, located at Middlesex University in north London in the UK, is a world centre of expertise in the socio-economic assessment of flood and floodplain management options. one of the oldest established centres for water and environmental management research in the world. The Centre’s mission is

“To help those who are vulnerable, by promoting the understanding of natural hazards, and providing insight, information, and policy advice whereby governments and other organisations provide sustainable assistance and protection for those at risk”.

FHRC has particular expertise in socio-economic and policy analysis for hazard, coastal and water management. The focus is on links between human behaviour and environmental change; alternative solutions to environmental problems; mixing socio-economic analysis with sound environmental science; and sustainable environmental policies.

Specific areas of expertise include:

flood risk and flood damage assessment/modelling;

benefit-cost analysis and other decision aids;

policy choices and optimisation;

risk communication, public participation, and human behaviour;

institutional and policy analysis;

water resources planning and management; and

the natural sciences underpinning hazard research.

Techniques developed by FHRC have been adopted of for appraisal of all flood defence expenditure in England and Wales: a series of four manuals produced by the centre form the basis of the economic appraisal of flood and coastal defence projects in the United Kingdom.

FHRC has consistently mixing training, research and policy advice:

FHRC was part of the UK government’s FORESIGHT project which looked for the future of flood risk and coastal defence management for the next 100 years.

it advised on the GWP/WMO ‘Integrated Flood Management’ programme.

In addition to government agencies in the UK, and international agencies including World Bank, DFID and EU, the Centre has worked for and with a number of NGOs including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and WWF. It has extensive experience working outside of the UK including in Bangladesh, India, South Africa, France, Hungary, the Yemen, China, Argentina.

The Centre has a substantial specialist library, and presently has about 20 staff, predominantly with social science expertise, but including economics, climate change, survey design and analysis, and geomorphology.

In 2000, the Centre was granted a Queen’s Anniversary Award for Further and Higher Education.

FHRC is a part of the School of Health and Social Sciences of Middlesex University, which is located in north London and is one of the largest universities in the UK with about 2,000 staff and 24,000 students.